Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was a “warrior” during his final days on the show, according to the executive producer who worked with him at the end of his tenure.
Mike Richards joined the programme early this year. By that time, Trebek had publicly announced he had stage four pancreatic cancer and was several months into treatment.
Trebek died on 8 November at the age of 80. His final taping took place just days prior to his death.
As Trebek’s diagnosis progressed, Richard worked with Trebek to ensure he could keep carrying on his hosting duties as he wished. Richard told Entertainment Weekly that he had a “great working relationship” with the host, and that the Covid-19 pandemic “brought us even closer together” as they worked to safely resume production.
“We would have phone calls before we got back in the studio, with him going, ‘I want to be the first show back in production. What are you doing to make that happen?’” Richard recounted.
Jeopardy! eventually resumed with a set of precautions against the spread of coronavirus.
Later on, as Trebek’s health declined, Richard said he told the host he would do “anything” he needed, to which Trebek reportedly replied: “I'm not going to screw things up. I'll be there.”
“In the last few weeks, he had an intestinal surgery, and he was out for a little bit. I talked to him seven days before what would end up being his final taping session, and I said, 'Alex, you're barely up and around. We have a long way to go before you're gonna be back in the studio taping,'” Richard added.
“He got very firm, which I loved, and he goes, 'I'll be there. Don't you cancel anything.' And sure as heck, he was. He was a warrior.”
Trebek’s final Jeopardy! episodes will air from 4 January to 8 January.
